Hand cart for a garbage can



May 16, ,1961 1 L NQLEN 2,984,500

HAND CART FOR A GARBAGE CAN Filed 0G12. 9, 1959 INVENTOR. Jo//v /V0 ENUnited States Patent() HAND CART FOR A GARBAGE CAN John L. Nolen, ElCampo, Tex.; Mildred Nolen (Box 276, Louise, Tex.), executrix of said`lohn L. Nolen, deceased Filed Oct. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 845,508 Claims.`(Cl. 28047.26)

The present invention relates to a hand cart for supporting andtransporting a garbage can.

Presently in use are garbage cans which, in most municipalities, arerequired to be moved on days of garbage collection from a more or lessconcealed position adjacent the back door of a home or other building tothe side of a street or adjacent a curb for the convenience of thegarbage collection crew. The moving of a filled garbage can is, in mostcases, a diicult and objectionable operation. Additionally, the supportof a garbage can in a desired concealed location requires that the lidof the can be easily shifted from the position closing the can to aposition exposing the interior of the can for emptying of garbagethereinto, and requires that the garbage can be held securely againsttipping by dogs, cats, or action of the elements.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hand cart forsupporting and transporting a garbage can, one sturdy in construction,one simple in structure and economical to manufacture in quantity atreasonable cost, and one which is highly effective in action.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand cart forsupport of a garbage can which has a lid or can cover for covering a canwhen supported upon the platform of the hand cart, the lid being movablefrom the can covering position to a position uncovering the can andresting upon the handle, and one having a foldable or movable legelement supporting the forward end of the cart and connected to thehandle for moving from the support position to a position out ofsupporting engagement with a ground surface.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will befully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunctionwith the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the hand cart of the presentinvention, a portion of the foot or foot element and a portion of thehandle, with the connecting means, being shown in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational View of the assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view with a portion of the cover broken awayexposing the interior of the hand cart; and

Figure 4 is a view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4 4 ofFigure l.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing, in which like numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several views, the reference numeraldesignates generally the hand cart of the present invention and itincludes a platform 12 having a `forward end 14 and a rearward end 16,as shown inFigure 1.

An upright support member 18, embodying two vertically disposed strappieces 20 and 22, rises from the rearward end 16 of the platform 12.

opstanding cage 24, `adapted to embracingly receive the garbage can 26`in upright position, as shown in Figure l and in Figure 2, issuperimposed upon the platform 12 and is attached to the support member18.

The cage 24 consists in upright members 28 and 30 rising from theplatform 12 on each side thereof and connected at their upper ends by acontinuous band member 32, square in outline and forming for the can 26an enclosure out of which the can 26 must be lifted upwardly for removalfrom the hand cart 10.

A handle 34 is arranged in an upwardly sloping direction and ispositioned behind the support member 18 with the lower end connected, bymeans of bolt and nut assemblies 36, to the rearward end 16 of theplatform 12 for swinging movement of the handle 34 away from the supportmember 18, the latter position being indicated in dotted lines in Figure1.

Means is carried by the handle 34 intermediate the ends thereofreleasably engageable with attaching means on the support member 18 forholding the handle in the upwardly sloping direction position.` Thismeans consists in a hook 38 having one end pivotally connected to thehandle 34 and the other end releasably engageable with an apertured lug40 attached to the end member 32 intermediate the uprights 28 and 30.

A can cover 42 is positioned so that the midportion, as in Figure 1,rests upon the upper end of the hande 34. The cover 42 has one endadjacent the upper end of the support member and the portion adjacentthe other end rearwardly of the handle 34.

Hinges 44, constituting a connecting means, connects one end of thecover 42 to the upper end of the support member 18 for swinging movementof the cover 42 from the position resting upon the upper end of thehandle 34 to a position parallel to the platform 12, covering the upperopen end of the can 26 when the latter is positioned upon the platform12.

An upright U-shaped foot element 46 is positioned adjacent the forwardend 14 of the platform 12 and has the bight 48, or lower end, engaging aground surface. The bight 48 is fabricated of an angle iron member, asshown most clearly in Figure 3.

The legs 50 and 52 of the element 46 are connected intermediate theirends by bolt and nut assemblies 54 (Figure l) to the forward end of theplatform 12 for swinging movement about the bolt and nut assemblies 54,constituting horizontal axes, from the ground-engag ing position shownin full lines in Figure 1 to a position in which the lower end is out ofengagement with the ground, as designated by the dotted line in Figurel.

Means is provided connecting the foot element 46 to the handle 34 sothat the foot element 46 is moved from the ground-engaging position to aposition out of engagement with the ground responsive to execution ofmovement of the handle 34 from the upwardly sloping direction positionto a position away from the support member 18. This means includes alink 56 on each side of the cage 24 having one end pivotally connectedto the handle 34 and having the other end connected to the upper end ofthe adjacent leg 50 or 52 of the element 46.

As shown most clearly in Figure 4, the platform 12 is fabricated of siderails 58 and 60 supporting a door member 62 and having theircomplemental ends connected together by end members 64 and 66, shown inFigures 3 and 4, respectively.

A pair of wheels 68, mounted upon an axle 70, are dependingly secured bystrap members 72 from the platform 12 on each side and support theplatform 12 for a rolling movement over a ground surface.

In use, the hand cart 10 is employed to support a garbage can 26 inupright position on the platform 12 within the cage 24. The can cover 42is swingable from a position closing the can 26 to a positionaffordingaccess to' the interior of the can 26, as shown in Figure l. When it isdesired to Shift the hand cart 410 from one location to another, theplatform 12 is tilted by pulling backwardly on the handle 34 andmaneuvering the carr 10 to the position desired.

Upon unhooking of the hook 38 from the apertured lug 4), the handle 34may be pulled backwardly of the platform 12 to raise the element 46 fromthe groundengaging position to a position out of engagement with theground for better transporting of the platform 12 over a ground surfaceto the desired location. When so doing, the operator places his handupon the support member 18 to steady the support member 18 and the can26.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hand cart, a platform having a forward end and a rearward end,an upright support member rising from the rearward end of said platform,a handle arranged in an upwardly sloping direction positioned behindsaid 'support member and havingV the lower end connected to the rearwardend of said platform for swinging movement of said handle away from saidsupport member, means carried by said handle intermediate the endsthereof and releasably engageable with attaching means on said supportmember for holding said handle in the upright sloping directionposition, a can cover positioned so that the midportion rests upon theupper end of said handle and having one end adjacent the upper end ofsaid support member and having the portion adjacent the other endrearwardly of said handle, and means connecting said one end of saidcover to the upper end of said support member for swinging movement ofsaid cover from the aforesaid position to a position parallel to saidplatform.

2. In a hand cart, a platform having a forward end and a rearward end,an upright support member rising from the rearward end of said platform,an upstanding cage adapted to embracingly receive a garbage can inupright position superimposed upon said platform and attached to saidsupport member, a handle arranged in an upwardly sloping directionpositioned behind said support member and having the lower end connectedto the rearward end of said platform for swinging movement of saidhandle away from said support member, means carried by said handleintermediate the ends thereof and releasably engageable with attachingmeans on said support member for holding said handle in the uprightsloping direction position, a can cover positioned so that themidportion rests upon the upper end of said handle and having one endadjacent the upper end of said support member and having the portionadjacent the other end rearwardly of said handle, and means connectingsaid one end of said cover to the upper end of said support member forswinging movement of said cover from the aforesaid position to aposition parallel to said platform;

3. In a hand cart, a platform having a forward end and a rearward end,an upright support member rising from the rearward end o-f saidplatform, a handle arranged in an upwardly sloping direction positionedbehind said support member and having the lower end connected to therearward end of said platform for swinging movement of said handle awayfrom said support member, means carried by said handle intermediate theends thereof and releasably engageable with attaching means on saidsupport member for holding said handle in the upright sloping directionposition, an upright foot element positioned adjacent the forward end ofsaid platform and having the lower end engaging a ground surface, saidelement being pivotally connected intermediate the ends thereof to saidplatform for swinging movement about a horizontal axis from theground-engaging position to a position in which the lower end is out ofengagement with the ground, and means connecting said foot element tosaid handle so that said foot element is moved from the ground-engagingposition to a position out of engagement with the ground responsive toexecution of movement of said handle from the upwardly sloping directionposition to the position away from said support member.

4. In a hand cart, a platform having a forward end and a rearward end,an upright support member rising from the rearward end of said platform,an upstanding cage adapted to embracingly receive a garbage ca n inupright position superimposed upon said platform and attached to saidsupport member, Va handle arranged in an upwardly sloping directionpositioned behind said support memberand having the lower end connectedto the rearward endv of said platform for swinging movement of saidhandle away from said support member, means carried by said handleintermediate the ends thereof and releasably engageable with attachingmeans on said support member for holding said handle in the uprightsloping direction position, a can cover positioned so that themidportion rests upon the upper end of said handle and having one endadjacent the upperend of said supPQrt member and having the portionadjacent the other end rearwardly of said handle, an upright footelement positioned adjacent the forward end of said platform and havingthe lower end engaging a ground surface, said foot element beingpivotally connected intermediate the ends thereof to said platform forswinging movement about a horizontal axis from the ground-engagingposition-to a position in which the lo'wer end is out of engagement withthe ground, means connecting said foot element to said handle so thatsaid foot element is moved from the ground-engaging position to aposition out of engagement with the ground responsive to execution ofmovement of said handle from the upwardly sloping direction position tothe position away from said support member, and means connecting saidone end of said cover to the upper end of said support member forswinging movement of said cover from the aforesaid position to aposition parallel to said platform.

5. In a hand cart, a platform having a forward end and a rearward end,an upright support member rising from the rearward end of said platform,a handle arranged in an upwardly sloping direction positioned behindsaid support member and having the lower end connected to the rearwardend of said platform for swinging movement of said handle away from saidsupport member, means carried by said handle intermediate the endsthereof and releasably engageable with attaching means on said supportmember for holding said handle in the upright sloping directionposition, a U-shaped foot element positioned adjacent the forward end ofsaid platform and having the bight thereof engaging a ground surface,the legs of said element being pivotally'connected intermediate the endsthereof to said platform for swinging movement about a horizontal axisfrom the groundengaging position to a position in which the lower end isout of engagement with the ground, and means connecting said footelement to said handle so that said foot element is moved from theground-engaging position to a position out of engagement with the groundresponsive to execution of movement of said handle from the upwardlysloping direction position to the position away from said supportmember.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 673,232Bechtel Apr. 30, 1901 1,554,903 Beatty Sept.v 22, 19,25 2,650,786 PlattSept. 1, 1953 2,745,676 Scott Mayr15, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 469,941Canada Dec. 5, 19.50 76,392 Norway Mar. 6, 1950

